Delay in Aasara pensions causes anguish to poor

Rajendranagar: Beneficiaries of Aasara pensions continue to make rounds of the government offices for the second month in row after they failed. With elections in new municipalities round the corner, the beneficiaries including senior citizens and disabled in urban areas under GHMC like Rajendranagar are feeling the pinch.

According to observers, ahead of municipal elections in the state, the government has started disbursement of pensions under Aasara scheme in rural areas, and disbursements in urban areas are put on hold. This is second time this year that the pensions are delayed. Delay in timely disbursement is causing panic among poor people, especially the disabled.

"Government should release the pension for the month of October which was supposed to be drawn from the banks in November. However, no such disbursal is made yet as half of the month of November has passed.

Meanwhile, it is being heard that beneficiaries in rural areas have got the pension today through post offices, but when we approached the bank to know the current status, we were told that no such release was made yet. We return empty-handed after realising that money is still not credited to our accounts," bemoaned Mohammed Subhan a disabled from Indranagar under Rajendranagar.

"A paltry amount of Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 per month also has enough importance in the lives of these poor people and delaying it could add to their misery," said Mohammed Jahangir, area sabha member Hassan Nagar.

When contacted, the in-charge for Aasara Pensions at UCD Section (Rajendranagar), Ganesh, said the online money transfer mode was showing that the payment was in process. "Beneficiaries will get it in next 4 to 5 days as the process of disbursement takes the time," he said.